From Our Blog

WCRF/AICR

Global Network

December

Foods That Fight Cancer?

Tomatoes

The tomato's red hue comes chiefly from a phytochemical called lycopene.
Tomatoes have historically attracted particular attention from prostate
cancer researchers because lycopene and its related compounds tend to
concentrate in tissues of the prostate. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant
that has displayed anti-cancer potential in a variety of laboratory studies,
stopping the proliferation of several cancer cell types including those of
the prostate, breast, lung, and endometrium.

Our 2007 second expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the
Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, found substantial evidence that
foods containing lycopene protect against prostate cancer. But in the
intervening years, researchers have learned more about the nature of the
disease, which has complicated the picture.

Prostate cancer is not a single disease, but many – and many thousands of
the cases now being diagnosed are cancers that may never become aggressive
or life-threatening. Studies are only beginning to account for these crucial
differences, which means any links between specific dietary factors and risk
for prostate cancer have become harder to see.

This is why, when our Continuous Update Project (CUP) released its follow-up
report on Prostate Cancer in 2014, the research linking foods containing
lycopene to prostate cancer prevention was downgraded to Limited Evidence ­
No Conclusion Possible. (This same report found strong new evidence that
obesity increases risk for advanced prostate cancer, however.)

This is not the end of the story: We will add new studies on lycopene and
prostate cancer to the CUP, which will be reviewed again before we issue
updated Recommendations for Cancer Prevention in 2017.

For now, though, tomatoes remain an important part of a healthy-cancer
protective diet. They contain fiber, which has been linked to lower risk of
colorectal cancer. AICR stresses the importance of eating a variety of
plant foods to ensure the most
protection against cancer development. No food in isolation can effectively
lower cancer risk.

The American Institute for Cancer Research is a nonprofit charity designated as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)3 by the Internal Revenue Service. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. EIN 52-1238026.